Device for handling railroad-ties.



No. 825,638. PATEN'TED JULY 10, 1906. ,T. S. OAFFERTY dz A. J; HAYDEN. DEVICE FOR HANDLING RAILROAD TIES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1906.

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UNITE STATES PATENT @EETGE.

THERON SAMUEL CAFFERTY AND ALFRED JOHN HAYDEN, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

DEVICE FOR HANDLING RAILROAD-TIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed February 6, 1906, Serial No. 299,832.

lifting and handling railroad ties or sleepers and setting in place in the road-bed.

The object of the invention is to provide a device by which ties of all sizes may be readily handled without damaging the tie or sleeper in any way.

' The invention includes the features of construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

It is illustrated in the accompanying drawin gs, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view.

In the drawings the device is shown as consisting of two arms A, which are of flat metal, such as steel, of suitable size, pivoted together at the overlapping portion, the pivot being indicated at B. Slightly below the pivot it will be seen that the arm portions extend out wardly as indicated at a and thence downwardly, as indicated at a, having at their lower ends angular bent portions a serrated on their inner edges, as indicated at (L to form teeth or gripping portions for engaging the opposite sides of the tie and preventing slipping, the teeth being beveled to a point from the under side, as shown.

Above the pivot B the arms are curved gradually outward, the upper portions being formed into rounded or cylindrical shape, as indicated at a and bent to form handles a*.

l/Vhen a tie is to be handled, the handles are grasped by both hands and separated, thus separating the gripping-jaws, which are placed over the tie. The drawing of the handles together causes the gripping-jaws to engage the opposite sides of the tie, the outwardly curve of the arms giving ample leverage to prevent the gripping-jaws from slipping, and the tie may thus readily be lifted and deposited in any desired place or moved into any desired position. The gripping portions are readily released from the tie by pressing the handles apart, and a new hold may be taken at any point deemed necessary as the tie is moved to its desired position, the arm gripping the tie on each side without any damage whatever to the tie, thus avoiding the constant injury to the tie from customary use of the pick which the present implement supersedes.

WVe find it desirable to provide the device with a small chain a of suitable length and fastened thereto upon each arm or handle portions about middle way between the pivot and handholds for the purpose of preventing the handles from spreading too far apart should one handle be left to hang loose, the said chain being of suflicient length as to allow the arm portions below the pivot to separate about fourteen inches or so.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a pair of arms pivotally connected together and having outwardly curved or separated portions below the pivot provided with gripping teeth or serrations, and diverging portions above the pivot terminating in raspi-nghandles, and a chain having its en s fixedly connected to the arms above the pivot, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of arms pivoted together and having manipulating-handles at their upper ends, said arms having angularly-bent portions at their lower ends provided with teeth or serrations, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signature in presences of two witnesses.

'IIIERON SAMUEL CAFFERTY. ALFRED JOHN HAYDEN.

I/Vitnesses:

JOHN T. ANDERSON, WV. C. LoUDEs. 

